Repair AF2111 Divertor

Site: Western Turner

Client: Rio Tinto

Service: Rope Access

Capability: Operations / Shutdown

Industry: Mining and Resources

Scope of Works

The work scope involved the repair of the AF2111 divertor, which had failed during operations, snapping completely away from the head chute wall on the RHS of flow and sustaining significant cracking on the LHS. RTIO submitted a Break In task to refurbish and reinstall the divertor, allowing it to remain operational for the next 13 weeks until a new design could be implemented.

Originally planned to be repaired in position, the divertor required full removal due to the extent of wear and damage. Investigation identified that an additional wedge plate installed during a previous shutdown had added weight to the structure, contributing to steel cracking from rock impact on the lower lip. The team collaborated closely with the RTIO shutdown team to establish an effective timeline and complete the Break In successfully.

Key Activities

• Removed bird cage attachment beam and wing walls.
• Transported the divertor and lower head chute for refurbishment.
• Refurbished the divertor.
• Fabricated and fitted new parent metal sections.
• Tack-welded the divertor to lower head chute walls and completed full welding.
• Reinstalled Davies liners and repaired cracks.
• Lifted and positioned the lower head chute sections on site.
• Installed RHS and LHS flow sections, bolting into the lower chute and aligning all shims to original positions.
• Reinstalled grizzly wing walls, grizzly velocity chains, and cage beam to restore full structure.
• Completed QA/QC checks throughout removal, refurbishment, and installation to ensure alignment, measurement accuracy, and structural integrity.